SRAM GX Eagle Rear Derailleur
Overall Review
When you look back at the history of SRAM's 1X drivetrains, it took quite a while for all that wonderful technology to trickle down to a price point that many considered to be affordable. Three years and multiple intermediary drivetrains separated the 2012 introduction of XX1, the company's flagship 11-speed system, and GX, the affordable workhorse. That's not the case this time around. SRAM is making moves by releasing an everyman's GX version of their new 12-speed Eagle drivetrain just one
SRAM GX Eagle Rear Derailleur
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Buzzy's Slick Honey All Purpose Grease
The Good
best value and superior performance
The Bad
nothing negative about it
Overall Review
Slick Honey is the absolute best performing product for lubricating seals, stanchions, shock shafts, and suspension points during routine maintenance. It's the best value per ml of anything else you will buy for your bike. Stays put and slippery than a bee's butt!
Buzzy's Slick Honey All Purpose Grease
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Santa Cruz Reserve Carbon Wheels
Overall Review
Santa Cruz is set to ruffle some feathers in the wheel world with the launch of their new Reserve lineup of wheelsets. The high performance, top dollar wheelset is aimed at leaving no compromises, complete with a lifetime warranty. Is it indeed a game changing product or mere marketing riffraff? Read on for our first look... Highlights Available in 27.5 and 29-inch diameters 29-inch wheels in three widths: 25, 27 and 30mm internal 27.5-inch wheels in two widths: 27 and 30mm internal 1.5:1 width
Santa Cruz Reserve Carbon Wheels
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2018 Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon CC XX1 Reserve
Overall Review
Defining the new Nomad left me scratching my head for words. Most everything I wrote sounded like a cliché directly from the 2009 Handbook for Mountain Bike Journalists. "A trail bike that descends like a downhill bike." "A mini-DH bike that can pedal." Yeah, they've both been used ad-nauseam... The ultimate irony to my cliché-laden articulation strugglefest is that the new Nomad is anything but cliché. At a time when most companies seem to be chasing the perfect mid-travel trail bike or eeking
2018 Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon CC XX1 Reserve
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Banshee Spitfire V2 (2013) Frame
The Good
Geometry is pretty spot on. KS-Link lets you use its travel very effectively.
The Bad
Material distribution, front triangle is way to weak in comparison to the rear. It kept on eating through its 608 bearings and not of the cheap kind, which i relate to the front triangle being deflected a little to easily and therefore introducing lateral forces into the upper linkage. Reliabilty. Customer Service
Overall Review
As much as i hate to deliver this review i feel its only right to do so, would have loved to find any information of this kind before burning the amount of money on a bike as i did. I am one of the much cited shop rats who rather ride a reliable, heavy aluminum bike over any weight concious flimsy alternative on the market. Working on bikes for a living the last 6 years, this was my mindset when i dumped an enormous amount of money (for a bike mechanics salary anyway) on a frame. I was happy to
Banshee Spitfire V2 (2013) Frame
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Kali Protectives Shiva 2.0 Full Face Helmet
Overall Review
We all watched in horror as Nicoli Rogatkin fell down a 30-foot cliff during the 2015 Red Bull Rampage, which thankfully he was able to ride away from. Well, in that crash he happened to be wearing a prototype version of the Kali Protectives Shiva 2.0 full face helmet, which was only recently introduced. Available in both carbon and a less expensive Tri-Weave version, the new helmet meets a number of certifications including DOT, CPSC, EN 1078, just to name a few. Boasting improved protection
Race Face SixC 35 Handlebars
The Good
Light
Stiff enough
Less hand fatigue
The Bad
Pricey depending on how you look at it.
Overall Review
I purchased the SIXC 35 bars as an upgrade to the stock Bontrager bars that came on my Trek Remedy. The Bontrager bars did not fit well and caused my hands to hurt after only a few miles of riding. The bars on my previous bike had a similar shape to the Race Face and I was looking forward to the weight saving and damping characteristics of carbon. Specs Weight- 210 grams Rise- 20 mm Sweep-8° rearward, 5° upward Width- 800 mm Clamp- 35 mm Out of the Package I ordered the bars from Bicycles
Race Face SixC 35 Handlebars
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2017 Kona Operator DL
Overall Review
With their roots first sprouting in Vancouver, BC, and now hailing from Ferndale, WA, Kona has a reputation for building burly, durable bikes intended to be pushed hard over the often adverse conditions throughout the Pacific Northwest region. With a goal of redesigning the Operator to be both a bike park slayer as well as a capable World Cup race bike, Kona went back to the drawing board as the market shifted from 26-inch steeds to the modern 27.5 standards. Development began in 2014 with
2017 Kona Operator DL
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